This invention relates principally to an anti-microbial sensitivity test and testing stratum, for determining the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of a variety of anti-microbial agents, or bactericides, any of which may be used in conjunction with the treatment of a particular skin surface or wound infection, and which infection may contain no identified, or an unidentified, microbial type of contaminant.
A variety of prior art is available in this particular field, for disclosing various diagnostic type of packages or means that are used for aiding the medical practitioner in the identification of the type of bacteria to be treated. But, initially, it must be commented herein that a co-inventor of this particular development, as can be seen from the cross reference to related application, is also the holder of U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,184, which identifies the base synthetic resin wound dressing and method of treatment using same, disclosing the type of polymer that is even used in conjunction with this current invention, whereas, in the identified patent, it has been used as a means for functioning as a wound dressing, and which may have incorporated therein various medicines, for treatment of burns, or other forms of wounds. In addition, the particular polymer disclosed in the earlier patent is related to, but obviously of different patentable structure, to the form of polymer that is shown in the earlier patent to Moro, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,518. In that particular patent, the polymer is applied as a paste, and when it sets up, forms a more hardened coating, for application to a wound, or other treatment area, without having the pliability, flexibility and adhesiveness of the synthetic resin disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,184. Thus, when functioning in that manner, it is questioned whether the Moro style of resin could be used in conjunction with the current invention, since it is necessary to have some flexibility, and adhesiveness as well as drug release characteristics, in order to control microbial contaminants in the manner of this current invention.
The earlier patent to Forg, U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,474, describes a process and means for carrying out bacteriological operations. As can be seen, the device is used for taking samples for detecting certain types of bacteria in liquids, by utilizing a sterile flat-like structure made of an absorbent material, for absorbing bacteria, and for their immersion into a liquid for testing.
The patent to Reich, U.S. Pat. No. 2,985,288, discloses another form of diagnostic package, wherein sheets of paper-like material are capable of receiving centrally thereof a culture-absorbent material for use for testing purposes.
The patent to Fink, U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,004, discloses another form of disposable culture device. As can be seen, the microbic test device incorporates a plate for the culture medium, a cover, a holder, and a plurality of test elements therein, and provided upon the surface of the culture medium for providing testing.
The patent to Monaghan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,604, discloses tubular articles, of the type incorporating a housing having diagnostic swabs or similar devices contained therein, with the housing being breakable, to provide a release of the swab for application.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,746, to Greenspan, discloses another method of and apparatus for collecting cultures. This also is a form of swab, contained within an airtight chamber, and available for usage once the seal is broken.
The patent to Spinner, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,748, discloses an anaerobic culture collecting and transporting apparatus, comprising a swab, contained with a closable container, and having a collected culture receiving depot therein. The container also provides various culture medium, and chemical means within the container to selectively activate the culture once placed upon the depot.
The patent to Beckford, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,980, shows another form of apparatus and method for identification of selected clinical yeast. This particular device is another form of apparatus for identification of a number of the most frequently isolated medical yeast, and which employs a single tube and a multi-cavity plate, the tube containing the sterile, liquid media, to test the germ-tube production, while the plate contains a plurality of independently sealed peripheal wells, for deposition of the bacteria onto their deposited solid media for performance of select tests.
The patent to Miller, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,148, shows another form of anaerobic environmental system for bacteria culture testing.
The patent to Montagnon, U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,511, shows an analytic device and method, which is useful for the detection of unknown microrganism, such as bacterium in a liquid nutritive medium. As can be seen, though, the test strips utilized incorporates a liquid reactive surface which is quite distinct from the principle of structure and application of usage of the current invention.
The patent to Hirshaut, U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,577, discloses another method and miniaturized apparatus for cultivating bacteria. It appears that this particular apparatus incorporates various culture dishes, for holding select culture medium, for providing testing.
The patent to Wielinger, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,250,256, shows another form of microbiological test device, which utilizes a nutrient card, having covering layers thereover and which are permeable to nutrients, but impermeable to bacteria. This device appears to be just the opposite from what is intended to be achieved from the current invention.
The patent to Citri, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,343, discloses another means for determination of anti-bacterial agents. As can be seen, apparently the test material utilized are starch-iodine strips of pad material, formed from a nutrient-agar plate.
Finally, the patent to Saxholm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,556, shows another form of apparatus and associated methods for use in microbiological, serological, immunological, clinical, chemical and similar laboratory work. In this particular instance, an active substance is contacted with a substrate, and is immersed in respective isolated substrate regions so that diffusion can take place, apparently for detecting and laboratory purposes.
In view of the foregoing, the current invention is more concerned with the formation of a particularly styled resin base, formed in the manner as described in this invention, to form small test discs, or the like, which may be previously treated with select antibacterial or antimicrobial agents, or bactericides, and provide for a reactive contact with any test specimen of bacteria or infection obtained from an infected surface wound or other source, to determine which of the antimicrobial drugs would be most useful for treatment of the affected person, animal, or the like.